Reiley Winebrenner
Odyssey Essay
Sophomore English
20 May 2008
Odysseus is a hero because of his brawniness during this journey. Another example is his cleverness in battle. Also is his courageousness toward immortal beings.
Odysseus never gives up during challenging events. Throughout the story he stays true to his family. Gods and goddesses try to break him but, he stays mentally strong all the way to the end. Odysseus has many troubles during this time, like when he has to endure being a beggar. The temptation of talking to his wife is torture. Along with being mentally strong, he shows his brute strength at the games in Phaiacia. Laodamas, prince of the Phaiacians, challenged Odysseus in the games, so "he sprang up and grabbed a huge big weight and with one whirl he threw it farther than any other man" (91).
Son of Laertes is never scared of any man or divine being. He battles the suitors in the great hall of Ithaca, and all in all he was out numbered in men during this battle. Equally as important is his fearlessness against Calypso, an evil and sexually-driven goddess. Poseidon, god of the sea, is exasperated with Odysseus because he stabbed his son's eye out, so the Earthshaker curses him when he is on open water. The wandering soul uses his prowess skills against Poseidon on the sea.
Finally, Odysseus' intelligence during critical situations is remarkable. Along with being smart, he possesses great stratagem in battle. In fact, he shows these qualities during the Trojan war with the Trojan horse, which eventually ended the war. In addition, he out smarts Polyphemos, a cyclops, with the trick "Noman is my name" (107). Odysseus is very laconic here, which gets him off of the island of the cyclops. Besides showing keenness in battle, he shows cleverness in outsmarting the Sirens, the seductive and fatal singers. Odysseus tells his men to "bind [him] with strong ropes and fasten [him] upright to the mast" (141).
His mightiness, boldness, and keenness are three reasons why he is hero in The Odyssey.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
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